The Iron Heart MK II
by Belzelga
Summary: This story is not in script format! It's in book style. This is the tale of how Metal-2 became known in Knothole in the SatAM/Archie universe. The storyline has been drastically changed from the original Iron Heart story. Please R & R!
1. Chapter 1

Legal Stuff:  
I don't own any of the characters in this story except for Metal Sonic 2. The others are the properties of their respective owners.  
  
Author's Notes:  
This fic is loosely based on one I wrote some time ago. It's the story of how my fan character, Metal Sonic 2, came to become a 'good guy', as it were. The original version of this one was in script style and was set in the SEGA universe. This one, however, will be in book style and is set more in the Archie Comics universe. There will be some SEGA in here too, somewhere.probably. The Metal Sonic that I use in this fic is the one from SEGA, and I believe is known as Mecha Sonic in the comics. Also, I'm not entirely familiar with the Archie universe, so please forgive any discrepancies. And now, on with the show!  
The Iron Heart MK II  
Chapter 1: The Choice  
Somewhere deep in Robotropolis...  
  
Sonic the hedgehog ran through a long, narrow hallway that seemed to go on forever. Various lights and alarms were going off, but they were overshadowed by the ever-expanding explosion that was tailing him. He was having a hard time staying ahead of it all as the oil refinery was exploding. Looking ahead, he finally saw the end of the corridor. Various pipes and control panels whizzed by his head as the hall's end more clearly came into view. Then, Sonic noticed something.  
  
He was headed for a dead end.  
  
The wall was rushing at him, faster and faster, but he kept running. The air behind him gained a blue hue as his form blurred. When he was only a few hundred yards from the wall, something caught his eye. A small ventilation shaft was at the bottom of it.  
  
"I hope this works..." he thought to himself as leapt forward and curled up.  
  
Now a blue ball, he reached the vent and shredded the grill that blocked his path. The explosion followed him, and he had faith that he would live. Sonic felt himself tear through another grill and roll across hard concrete. Finally, he was outside. He uncurled and began running again all in one, fluid motion. A fierce, roaring explosion shot out of the vent and filled the area. From a safe distance, Sonic watched the entire refinery go up in a bright, yellow bang. The shockwave rushed past him as he stood beside one of the factories.  
  
Unknown to him, a camera was recording his every motion. Robotnik stood in a large, dark room surrounded by walls of TV monitors. Behind him was a large, green glass tube. Inside it was a robot that resembled Metal Sonic, but with a larger turbine for a body, and thicker arms and legs. The fingers were rounded and rubber, and two pointed spikes were attached to its back, just above the turbine exhaust. The three quills on the robot's head lacked a single curve, and the entire robot had plates of silvery armor attached to the lower arms and legs, and on the outer edge of the quills, as well as several other places, such as on top of both sections of the jointed tail that was attached to the same lower torso as the legs, and connected to the bottom of the turbine. The black visor that served as eyes for the machine was also without curves, and the ears were triangular and ran from the front of the head to the start of the top quill.  
  
Robotnik leered angrily at the screen that showed his arch nemesis. "Blasted hedgehog." he muttered to himself. "I'll have his head..." he turned around to face the tube, and an evil smirk came across his face. "...and you're going to bring it to me." He looked down at one of the various, button-filled panels in front of him, and pressed a few.  
  
The tube that held the machine emptied itself of liquid, and the glass retracted into the top part. Robotnik hit a switch, and two bright, red, rectangular pupils appeared in the robot's eyes. Its head rose up, looking forward at Robotnik.  
  
"Metal Sonic 2, or Metal-2 for short..." Robotnik told the machine "you have been created with a variety of weapons and abilities, but your computer AI is the most advanced piece of programming ever made." He smiled happily to himself. "Your primary objective is to eliminate Sonic the Hedgehog. Use all the knowledge I have given you to accomplish this task."  
  
"Understood." The robot replied in an almost non-electronic voice that seemed to have a hint of a Russian accent. Metal-2 stepped down from the tube, and walked up to his creator. "I will deploy whenever you are ready."  
  
Robotnik hid his excitement. "Excellent. I will use you shortly, but first..." He returned to one of his monitors, where he saw Sonic alone.  
  
Breathing heavily, Sonic held a radio to his mouth and spoke into it. "This is Sonic reporting. Mission accomplished."  
  
At the other end of the transmission, near the edge of the city, Sally and Bunnie received the message. The squirrel spoke into her radio, answering the hedgehog's call. "Great job, Sonic. Meet us at the edge of the city, and we'll get out of here." Sally looked over to Bunnie. "With that refinery down, Robotnik won't be able to run his supply trains into the city."  
  
"Well, that's just great, Sugah. I just hope he doesn't have a backup." The rabbit responded. Sally nodded, and then there was a noise from the radio.  
  
"Uh...Sal?" the voice of Sonic said, worriedly. "I think I have a problem here." Sonic found himself in the middle of a swarm of SWATbots, each of which had a gun pointed at him.  
  
Again, Robotnik watched from a monitor. He turned around to face Metal-2. "I'll handle him. You use the holo-projector over there to disguise yourself as him and find his friends. Follow them, and find the village of Knothole." He could hardly bear his joy as he continued. "Transmit its location to me, and then eliminate everyone!"  
  
The robot was motionless as he listened. When Robotnik was finished, he responded. "By your command, sir." Metal-2 then walked over to a shelf and picked up a small holo-projector and turned it on. His appearance changed from a robot to that of Sonic. Physically, he was still the same, but he appeared to be Sonic. The silvery panel of armor on the robot's leg extended outwards to reveal a drawer-like compartment. Metal-2 tossed the device in, and closed the panel. There was an identical compartment in the other leg as well.  
  
Metal-2 departed, and took to the air, flying by vectoring his body's turbine's thrust downwards and engaging two small booster jets, one from each foot. The robot flew over Sonic, who was being dragged the other way by the gang of SWATbots. Metal-2 scanned the area with a variety of methods, and found his thermal scanners to be the most useful in locating Sally and Bunnie. Within minutes, he had landed behind a nearby building and raced up to them.  
  
"Sonic, you made it!" an excited and relieved Sally exclaimed when the hedgehog approached her.  
  
Metal-2 recognized the two life forms from his pre-programmed memories, and now had to play the part of Sonic. Using Sonic's voice, he replied. "Yeah, there was a bunch of SWATbots, but I took care of 'em." He waited a moment, and then continued. "Let's get outta here." And the three made their way to the edge of Robotropolis.  
  
Robotnik watched them through the network of security cameras, and let them escape. He turned around to see a couple of workerbots strapping Sonic to a cold, dark wall. They finished, and left. The scientist walked up to the hedgehog, and looked him in the face.  
  
"You won't get away with this! I won't let you!" Sonic yelled, rebelliously.  
  
Robotnik chuckled to himself and answered. "Ah, but I already have. As we speak, my creation is being led to your hideout by your own friends." Sonic's face gained a look of horror as Robotnik went on. "Once he's there, he'll send its location to me, and then decimate the village!" He then laughed heartily, and backed away.  
  
Sonic let his head fall as he stared at the ground. "No.I've failed." he whispered to himself, and was silent and motionless while Robotnik left the room. Sonic listened carefully for the door to close, and then looked up at the straps that bound him. "Gets him every time!" Sonic thought as he tried to figure out a way to escape. But the restraints were too strong, and he couldn't move. The feeling in his hands and feet slowly began to drift away as the tight straps held him. Sonic had to move his wrists and ankles every once in a while to keep the blood flowing.  
  
Meanwhile, The two girls and the imposter hedgehog were nearing Knothole's secret entrance. It wasn't long before they arrived, and Metal-2 kept careful track of where he was and how he got there. Bunnie lifted the top of the door, and Sally hopped in. Metal-2 looked back and forth between the rabbit and the hole, and she looked at him quizzically.  
  
"What's wrong, Sugahog?" she asked, and Metal-2 had to quickly come up with an answer.  
  
"Nothing.I-I'm just.a little dazed from the city is all." He replied carefully. Then, the robot climbed partway in, and paused a moment before going down. Bunnie followed, and they entered the village. Metal-2 could hardly believe his eyes. He was a machine, but programmed to act very real. And it worked. Sally, Bunnie, and Metal-2 went their separate ways, and Metal-2 was constantly recording information on what he saw.  
  
His logic told him that he should find the residence of Sonic to help keep up his disguise, and to use as a safe place to upload Knothole's location to Robotnik. He could've done so with his own transmitters, but didn't want to risk blowing his cover on the off chance that things around here were monitored. Instead, he would make it look like Sonic was a traitor by using the hedgehog's own computers against him.  
  
After spending a lot of time searching for Sonic's home, he finally gave up and asked one of the residents. They gave him a strange look, and Metal-2 gave his story about being dazed from the mission, and tossed in a lie about having been hit with anti-memory gas. Eventually, he found his way to Sonic's home, and entered the door. A cheery young fox noticed someone arrive, and rushed in from the other room, headed for Metal-2 with open arms.  
  
"Sonic! You're back!" Tails cheered as he ran.  
  
Metal-2 jumped out of the way as Tails hopped up to give a quick hug. Tails missed, and nearly crashed to the ground. After stumbling forwards for a brief moment, he turned around and faced Metal-2.  
  
"What was that for, Sonic?' Tails asked, and Metal-2 realized he had made another mistake.  
  
"I uh.sorry, Tails." He answered after comparing the fox to his memories and figuring out that it was Tails, and that he was supposed to be the fox's best friend.  
  
Before the conversation could continue any further, there was a loud series of knocks at the door, as if whoever was on the other side would die if they didn't get in immediately.  
  
"I'll get it." Tails said, and walked over to the door. He opened it, and asked "Hello?" but was interrupted by a pink blur and whoosh of wind.  
  
In an instant, Metal-2 found himself being tightly hugged by a pink hedgehog that was shouting gibberish about "missing you" and "so glad to see you" and such. The robot shoved her to the ground, and stared at her cruelly, almost forgetting that he was in disguise. Metal-2 waited for a moment, calming down, and scanned her. It was Amy Rose he soon discovered, a rare face around here and Sonic's self-proclaimed number one fan. Metal- 2 felt a twinge of something strange inside when he saw her, but ignored it.  
  
Amy climbed to her feet, looking sad. Metal-2 remembered that he was playing the hero, and looked away as he quietly spoke. "I'm sorry, Amy." He said grudgingly. Amy's mood brightened right then and there, and she hugged him again, though not as strongly as before. Metal-2 tolerated it for a moment, but then slowly pushed her away. "I have work to do." He said as he turned away.  
  
"What work?" Tails asked, and Metal-2 repressed his annoyance. He turned around, glanced at the closed door, and then at the fox and the hedgehog.  
  
"A couple of quiet kills won't endanger the mission." Metal-2 thought to himself as he considered unveiling his concealed laser blasters. Tails was waiting for an answer, and began to wonder why Metal-2 wasn't answering.  
  
"Well?" Tails asked, waiting.  
  
Metal-2 looked at him, annoyed. "You're about to find out!" he firmly stated as he deactivated the holo-projector via equipment in his leg compartment. The hologram disappeared, and Metal-2 was seen pointing his arms at Tails and Amy. The armor plates on the arms rose up, and two small metal cylinders were attached to the inside of them. The front tips of them extended forwards, and Metal-2's concealed blasters were ready for action. All four barrels, two on each arm, were pointed at the two creatures in front of him.  
  
Amy screamed, and leapt behind Tails, who had a look of shock on his face. He shook it off, and stood protectively in front of Amy, spreading his arms and Tails. "I don't know who or what you are, but you aren't getting Amy without going through me!" He yelled, looking Metal-2 directly in the eyes.  
  
Metal-2 would've ignored the fox's bravery and taken them both out, but he couldn't help but think about the fact that he was willing to sacrifice himself to protect someone else. It occurred to him that if he were ever in danger, there wouldn't be anyone or anything to help. Metal-2 wanted the kind of loyalty and friendship that those here in Knothole had. "But wait.I can't want anything.can I?" Metal-2 wondered silently. He kept tossing it back and forth in his mind, and was able to do so quickly because of his extreme processor speed. Still, it was very confusing, and he decided that he needed time to think about it properly.  
  
"I don't get it.what's he doing?" Tails thought, waiting for the pain to come.  
  
Metal-2 shook his head, and ran out the door without engaging his holo-projector. The people around were shocked and afraid when they saw him go by. Rotor noticed the panic from his garage, and looked out. The walrus was surprised to see a robot fly by, hovering inches off the ground.  
  
"W-what is that?" Rotor said to himself as Metal-2 went by. The robot flew to the secret entrance, and disappeared through it in a cloud of dust and dirt. The robot soared higher and higher, first above the treetops, and soon into the clouds. Figuring this to be a safe place, he slowed to a hover, looking out across the many miles of terrain below.  
  
"Okay, let's think here." Metal-2 said, not really to anyone. He began to consider his condition; how he would end up in Robotnik's scrap yard one way or another, whether he succeeded in his mission or not. Either way, Robotnik wouldn't have any use for him, and he'd be dismantled, and that was if he was lucky. But what choice did he have?  
  
Down below, there was panic in Knothole as word spread of the invasion. Word soon reached Sally, and after much debating between everyone, a realization slowly began to dawn on them: There was nothing they could do. Knothole was discovered, and their only hope was one they didn't even know about. If Metal-2 decided not to tell anyone, they would be safe. Not only that, but Sonic was missing. Tensions were high into the night, and they wore the citizens out. Despite the danger, many of them went home and went to bed. Many feared for Sonic's safety, and found themselves in a sleepless night.  
  
Metal-2 had remained airborne all day, and had made his decision. "If I continue to serve Robotnik, I will be in great danger, and be hated by many, and will meet my doom." He thought to himself. "But. if I were to join them.I would have a lot of support, and live a happier life, so to speak." And he had arrived at the conclusion that he would have to join those in Knothole.  
  
Metal-2 had figured that out about an hour ago. Now he was focused on the question of how to go about executing his plan. "I need to find someone with an open mind; someone that isn't too hostile. If I can prove to them that I've changed, then they can help me convince the others.but who?" The robot considered all this, scanning his data on the personalities of the various Freedom Fighters. After a while, he came up with an answer: Tails.  
____________________________________________________________________________ _________  
  
Well, how was that? I haven't written in the book style for a long time, so I'd like to know what everyone who's read this thinks of it. Even a short review would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! 


	2. Chapter 2

Legal Stuff:  
  
I don't own any of the characters in this story except for Metal Sonic 2. The others are the properties of their respective owners.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Reviews are always welcome, no matter how short they may be. So please take a few moments to let me know what you think of this story.  
Chapter 2: Friend Or Foe?  
"Grr...what's taking so long?!" Robotnik wondered out loud. It was already dark out, and Metal-2 had not returned or reported in since he had left. Sonic was in the same room, and weak as he was in his current situation, he couldn't pass up the chance to antagonize the scientist.  
  
"Maybe my friends found out about your little robot and broke it." He said with a slight smirk on his face.  
  
"Silence, you!" Robotnik returned, angrily. He walked up to the hedgehog, and was about to say something when Sonic cut him off.  
  
"Or maybe he's up and left you. If he's half as smart as you keep saying he is, that robot of yours would've certainly realized that working for you is just plain dumb." The hedgehog confidently spoke, directly to Robotnik's face, unaware that he was right.  
  
"Sir, why don't we just terminate him now and get it over with?" Snively muttered from nearby.  
  
"I'll make the decisions around here." Robotnik retorted, and looked back at Sonic. "If you keep up this attitude, I'll have my creation tear you to pieces when he gets back!"  
  
"That is, IF he gets back!" Sonic returned, grinning. Robotnik acted like he was going to shout something, but stopped and whirled around, arms crossed.  
  
"Snively, find that robot and get him back here!" He shouted to his nephew.  
  
Meanwhile, Metal-2 was descending to Knothole's secret entrance. He kept all his scanners active, searching for any sign of guards or defenses, or anything else that might cause problems. Finding none, Metal-2 entered Knothole, and immediately hid behind a large boulder. Metal-2 peeked out, seeing no one. His radar wasn't picking anyone up, either.  
  
"Strange." he thought. "Where is everyone?" Ignoring that for now, Metal- 2 continued on his way to find Sonic's home. There he would find Tails, and give his plan a shot. If this didn't work, then.well, he didn't want to think about that now. The robot reached the place, and raised his hand to knock on the door. He hesitated for a moment, and knocked on the door.  
  
Inside, Tails was busy welding something together when a small device started beeping to signal that someone was at the door. Tails looked up from the desk he was at, and removed his facemask. "Aunt Sally! The convention must've ended early." He said as he hurried up the stairs. Tails was so certain that it was Sally that he didn't check the security monitors that would've shown him that it was Metal-2. He arrived and threw the door open. Tails froze with shock when he saw who it was. Metal-2 stood silently for a moment before making the first move.  
  
"Hello? May I come in?" Metal-2 asked, trying to be polite. The last thing he wanted to do was make Tails mad. The fox's eyes rolled up, and he collapsed to the ground, fainted. Metal-2 stared at him, puzzled. Deciding that he had better do something, the robot walked in and closed the door. He carefully picked Tails up and laid him down on the couch. The robot stood back, scratching his head and trying to figure out what to do next. There wasn't much medical information in his data banks; he was designed to be a killer, not a helper.  
  
Tails appeared to be asleep, and common sense told Metal-2 to wake a sleeping person in order to speak with them. He'd have to be careful, though. Gently, the robot shook Tails's shoulders. "Tails.Tails, wake up." He said quietly. After a few more tries, it started to work.  
  
Tails's vision was blurry at first as his eyes opened slightly, and he saw someone blue kneeling next to him. Not yet remembering what had happened, he weakly posed a question. "S-sonic? Is that you?"  
  
Metal-2 thought for a moment, and decided against using his holo-projector. It would be too hard to explain later. In his calmest, most reassuring tone of voice, he spoke. "No, it's me.the robot."  
  
Tails snapped awake, sitting straight up. He took one look at Metal-2, and backed up into the couch cushion, trying to retreat. "No, please.don't hurt me!" He cried, fearing for his very existence. Metal-2 looked at him, looking fierce despite his best efforts not to.  
  
"I have no intention of harming you, Tails." He said calmly. Confused and unable to think straight, Tails responded.  
  
"W-what?" He asked.  
  
"If I had wanted to hurt you, I would've done so already." The robot said, trying to prove his point. Tails looked at himself, at his arms and legs, seeing that he was all there, and then back at Metal-2.  
  
"Then.what do you want?" He asked, not quite as scared as before.  
  
"Yes!" Metal-2 thought. "He's willing to listen.now, let's see if I can get this right." He looked around for a moment, and then back to Tails. "I want to be one of you; to join the freedom Fighters." "There." He thought to himself. "I said it. Now, I just have to prove it."  
  
Tails just looked at him, not knowing how to react. This robot, this evil thing had asked to be on the good side of the fight. He couldn't recall ever having to deal with anything quite like this before. "It's probably a trick." He wondered. But Tails didn't want Metal-2 to know that he thought that. The fox didn't quite believe what the robot had said, but still there was the fact that he hadn't been hurt, so maybe.  
  
"I.I'll have to ask." Tails managed to make out the words. Metal-2 knew that Tails didn't believe him, and had expected it. He wanted to prove to the fox his good intentions, but he'd need a more direct approach.  
  
"Is there a way that I could prove to you that I'm not lying?" the robot asked, and sent Tails into a flurry of thought. The fox realized he needed more information.  
  
"Tell me.what made you decide to join us?" Tails inquired, trying to sound like he was just gathering information. Metal-2 stood up and found a nearby chair. Careful not to damage it with his spiky quills and tail, he sat down. The robot proceeded to explain what he had thought about, why he had chosen this path, and so on. The process took a while, and about halfway through, Tails was listening intently while drinking some hot chocolate he had made earlier. When it was over, there was a long silence. Tails sat on one side of the room, holding an empty mug while staring at Metal-2. The robot was at the other side of the room, waiting eagerly for a reply.  
  
"Okay," Tails began. "I believe you. There's no way a story that complex could be a trick. Plus, you've certainly acted good enough."  
  
Metal-2 was satisfied that things were finally going his way. "Thank you, Tails.and I apologize for attacking you earlier."  
  
Tails was rather impressed that something created by Robotnik had just apologized without being sarcastic. "It's okay...I understand."  
  
Metal-2 let out a sigh of relief; or at least, a noise that sounded like one.  
  
"You act quite real, Metal." Tails said, using the name he had decided on for the robot. "Your AI must be super advanced."  
  
"It is." Metal-2 responded. "Sometimes I wonder if I could ever have emotions...I might even have them now."  
  
Tails lifted an eyebrow. "Emotions? I don't know about that. But...what say we find out?" Metal-2 looked at him, wondering what he meant. Tails continued. "If I were to tell you a joke, would you laugh?"  
  
"I honestly don't know." Metal-2 replied.  
  
Before Tails could proceed, there was a knock at the door. "Uh-oh!" He said. "Aunt Sally's back from the meeting! Metal, we have to hide you!" He jumped out of his seat and grabbed Metal-2 by the arm. Tails led the robot to another room, and there was another knock at the door.  
  
"Tails? Are you in there, Tails?" Sally said from outside the door. "He's probably welding again and can't hear me..." She figured, and opened the door. Tails jumped out from the other room, holding his hands behind his back, and doing his best to look like nothing unusual had happened. A wide grin was on his face as he sweatdropped, and Sally looked at him, knowing quickly that something was amiss. "Tails, what's going on?" She asked in a firm voice.  
  
"Aunt Sally...There's someone I want you to meet..." He began, and Metal-2 grew worried as he listened from behind a wall.  
  
"Tails, did you bring home another stray animal again? What did I tell you about that?" Sally started in, but was interrupted by Tails.  
  
"No, it's not a stray...well, not a stray animal, anyway..." Tails said, and Sally began to look at him strangely. The fox looked her in the eyes, and spoke. "You have to promise not to freak out, okay?" He told her, knowing that she probably would anyway.  
  
This got Sally worried. She took a deep breath, and agreed. "Okay, let's see it."  
  
"Here goes nothing..." Tails thought as he signaled for Metal-2 to show himself. "Aunt Sally, I want you to meet Metal Sonic 2." The robot walked up behind him, and Sally gasped with horror.  
  
"Tails, get away from that thing!" She exclaimed, afraid.  
  
"Saw that one coming." Tails thought to himself, and spoke up again. "Don't worry, Aunt Sally, we had a long talk and he explained everything to me. Metal's on our side!"  
  
"No...no, it can't be!" Sally said, worried. "Tails, you don't know what you're dealing with! Now get away from that...that THING!" She shouted, reaching for Tails.  
  
"I assure you, I mean you all no harm." Metal-2 explained, but his efforts were in vain.  
  
"Get out of here, you menace!" Sally said to the machine. Metal-2 and Tails looked at each other, and shook their heads slowly. She didn't understand.  
  
"But he hasn't done anything wrong! Just because he's a robot doesn't mean he's bad!" Tails said, trying his best to defend Metal-2. The robot recognized that, and wished there was some way he could repay the fox. Tails was apparently his first real friend, and he wasn't about to lose him. Metal-2 faced Sally, and spoke.  
  
"Princess Sally Acorn, I give you my word that I will not cause harm to these people or this place. I know you don't trust me, but how can I prove my intentions to you if you never give me a chance?" Metal-2 asked firmly, and Sally looked at him. She recognized that there was something about this machine that seemed different from other robots.  
  
"Maybe he is telling the truth..." She thought, wondering. "I hate to admit it, but you're right. If you really are on our side, then you can prove it by getting Sonic back." Sally knew she was risking the location of Knothole, but Tails seemed so certain, and she had to have Sonic back, so she took a chance.  
  
"Very well." Metal-2 replied. "As far as Robotnik knows, I'm still working for him. I'll use that to sneak in and retrieve Sonic. Getting out will be harder, though. But I will do my best."  
  
"Be careful, Metal." Tails said to him as the robot headed for the door. Sally stepped back as he passed by, and Tails came up next to her. She grabbed him gently, and slightly pulled him away from the machine. The fox then realized something. "Metal, wait!" He said. "If you go out there looking like that, you'll be seen. Use that disguise thing of yours...that is, if it can make you look like someone other than Sonic."  
  
"Good idea." Metal-2 replied, and reprogrammed the device in his leg compartment using a small army of tiny nanorobots that inhabited his body. They normally were used for repairs, but had other purposes as well, since they could manipulate materials at the atomic level. Metal-2's appearance soon became that of Tails. "Mind if I borrow your looks for a while?" Metal-2 asked.  
  
"Is that a joke?" Tails asked in all seriousness.  
  
Metal-2 paused for a moment to think about it. "Why...I believe it was. Amazing..." He then walked out the door and left Knothole. The robot shed his disguise, and flew off into the air. Metal-2 picked up speed and arrived at Robotropolis in a matter of minutes. Somewhere down there was Sonic the Hedgehog, the one that he would have to rescue. "This is going to be interesting..." He thought, and made his descent...  
____________________________________________________________________________ _________  
  
How was that? Please review! 


	3. Chapter 3

Legal Stuff:  
  
I don't own any of the characters in this story except for Metal Sonic 2. The others are the properties of their respective owners.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Metal-2's out to earn the trust of the others...let's see if it works...  
Chapter 3: Rescue Mission  
Metal-2 made his landing just outside one of the city's gates. Security forces had been tracking him ever since he was in range. Upon the robot's landing, Robotnik was informed. Clearance was given, and Metal-2 peacefully entered Robotropolis. He made his way through the maze of streets and factories until he came to the control tower. Deep in its underbelly, he knew, would be Sonic. After a trip through several hallways, doorways, and elevators, Metal-2 finally arrived in the room. Sonic seemed to be asleep, as it was a little past midnight now. Robotnik had gotten to the room to greet Metal-2 shortly after hearing of the machine's arrival.  
  
"It's good to see you again, Metal-2. Tell me, why didn't you report Knothole's location?" Robotnik asked, quickly getting down to business.  
  
"I ran into some problems, and was unable to transmit the data." He replied plainly.  
  
"Well, why don't you just give it to me now?" Robotnik responded, eagerly.  
  
"That's one of the problems. I was attacked after losing my cover, and some faulty programming lost the village's location. I have since corrected the latter problem." Metal-2 answered, again without feeling.  
  
Sonic had been awakened when Robotnik had entered, but had played possum since then. He listened to every word of their conversation, and was relieved to know that the village's location was safe. "But what about the villagers?" he thought, wondering. "Are they safe, too?"  
  
Robotnik considered what the robot had said, and realized something. "If your cover was blown, then that means they know that Sonic is missing...and they'll be sending someone."  
  
"That someone is me, you tub of lard..." Metal-2 thought to himself. He was a little surprised that he had just made an insult, but hid the feeling. "Why don't we just execute the hedgehog now, so they can't possibly get him back?" He asked, making a plan. "I could take him outside and get it over with right now if you want."  
  
Robotnik looked down at him. "That sounds like something Snively would say." He quickly brushed the thought away, and answered. "Because he would make a valuable slave. No, we won't kill him; not exactly. We'll roboticize him before whoever they send even gets here."  
  
"Before someone gets here?" Sonic thought. "Maybe Buttnik's got a brain after all..." He nearly laughed, but managed to keep up his sleeping charade. The gravity of his apparent situation quickly occurred to him. "What am I saying?! I'm about to become a mindless drone!"  
  
Robotnik's response wasn't exactly pleasing to Metal-2, either. Things had just gotten tougher for him. Still, all was not lost. "May I take him to the chamber, sir?" Metal-2 asked, still trying to get Sonic out with as little trouble as possible.  
  
Robotnik stared at Metal-2, wondering what was on the robot's mind. "Very well. Take him up to roboticizer number three, and I'll meet you there soon." He answered, hiding his real plan. "Something's not quite right here. I'll keep a close watch on him from now on..." He thought to himself.  
  
"Thank you, sir." Metal-2 answered, and approached Sonic. The blue hedgehog was ready, and planned to make his escape while in transit.  
  
"Now I just have to time this right..." Sonic thought. "And I can bust outta here."  
  
Several workerbots entered the room, and handcuffed Sonic. They then applied several sets of ankle cuffs, and released him from the wall. Metal- 2 immediately grabbed him by the arms, but not harshly. Sonic was a bit surprised at this, but didn't think much of it because he was more focused on escaping. Robotnik left the room, the workerbots went back to wherever they came from, and Metal-2 escorted Sonic from the control tower. Now alone in the streets, Metal-2 decided to let Sonic in on his secret.  
  
"Sonic...there's something you should know..." Metal-2 whispered to the cuffed hedgehog.  
  
"And what's that?" He asked, and then added quietly to himself, "As if I cared..."  
  
Metal-2 heard the comment, but ignored it. "We're going to get out of here."  
  
"Oh yeah? Well you can just-" Sonic realized what the machine had said. "What?"  
  
"I know you probably don't believe me, but I'm on your side." Metal- 2 answered. "And I'm here to prove it to your friends by getting you out."  
  
"You're right, I don't believe you. And I'm not falling for your little trick, either." Sonic told him, angrily looking into the machine's face.  
  
"It's not a trick. Just ask Tails." He said calmly.  
  
"What did you do to Tails?!" Sonic shouted, and Metal-2 shushed him.  
  
"I didn't do anything to him. Calm down, Sonic. Listen, will you believe me if I set you free?" Metal-2 asked, beginning to get worried.  
  
Sonic looked at him, smirking. "No, but I wouldn't mind being freed anyway."  
  
Metal-2 sighed, and thought for a moment. He knew Sonic as the leader of the Freedom Fighters, and knew that his support would be vital to being accepted by everyone else. "Okay, I'll remove the cuffs, but you have to promise not to get away."  
  
It was a promise that Sonic would have no trouble breaking. "Okay, it's a deal."  
  
Metal-2 grabbed the chains, one by one, and tore them apart with pure brute strength. When the last one was off, he caught Sonic by the leg just as the hedgehog was about to escape.  
  
"Hey, no fair!" Sonic said to the machine.  
  
"I'm just helping you keep your end of the deal." Metal-2 said confidently as he shifted his grip to Sonic's shoulders. "Now, let's get out of here."  
  
They began walking toward roboticizer three, but their real target was the gate not far from it.  
  
"We could go a lot faster if you would just release me, you know." Sonic said trying to fool the robot. Metal-2 didn't react, other than making his next statement.  
  
"Actually, we'd be surrounded by SWATbots in a matter of seconds." Metal-2 explained. "I've been monitoring the system's security measures, and they're keeping track of us. Fortunately, they're still too stupid to realize that you aren't cuffed."  
  
"A matter of seconds, huh? That's plenty of time!" Sonic said, and kicked Metal-2 in the shin. His foot hurt a little bit, but it distracted the robot long enough for him to wiggle free of his grip and run for the door. Metal-2 quickly caught up with him as an alarm went off. The robot caught Sonic, stopping them just feet away from the gate. SWATbots were instantly on them like a swarm of bees, and all seemed lost.  
  
"Nice job, Sonic! Now I have to get us outta this mess!" Metal-2 yelled, and armed his now un-concealed arm blasters. Sonic jumped at the robots nearest the gate, but was fired at, and a stray shot got him in the upper left arm.  
  
Sonic yelped out in pain as he lost his focus and fell to the ground. The SWATbots surrounded him, and were about to fire again a barrage of laser blasts cut them down. Metal-2 shoved over a hole-filled SWATbot as he approached Sonic. The hedgehog was bleeding from the hit, and Metal-2 quickly sat him down against the wall. Sonic could only watch as Metal-2 used his blasters to take down the remaining SWATbots. The robot then hurried over to Sonic and knelt down beside him.  
  
"Sonic, can you hear me?" Was the machine's first question. Sonic weakly looked up at him, and his response was almost inaudible amongst the alarms.  
  
"Metal...It hurts..." Was all he could manage to say. Metal-2 had to act quickly, as another wave of SWATbots would be bearing down on them any moment now. He opened one of his leg compartments, and took out a roll of cloth bandage and two small iron bars. He used them to make a splint for Sonic's arm, which was quite possibly broken. Metal-2 didn't have time to scan it to find out. When it was finished, the robot quickly and carefully scooped Sonic up and headed for the door. There was no time to open it quietly, so he backed up and flew a few feet into the air. Metal-2 then rammed the door headfirst, flying in such a way that Sonic wouldn't be hurt.  
  
The heavy metal door bent, and a small gap formed. Metal-2's head was somewhat bent out of shape, but it didn't stop him from reaching into the gap with his feet and widening it. They flew through the makeshift exit, and away from Robotropolis. Several flying badniks were dispatched to hunt them down, so Metal-2 turned around, flying backwards. His arms were in a position that he could activate his blasters without affecting Sonic, so he did so and shot down the enemy robots before they could move into attack range. Metal-2 then turned back around, and headed for Knothole.  
  
"Whew!" The robot exclaimed, and looked down at Sonic. "You okay?" He asked.  
  
Sonic was silent for a moment, and then answered. "Metal...I believe you." Metal-2 sighed, relieved. Sonic noticed the damage to the top of the robot's head. "What about you? You look hurt."  
  
"I'll be fine. I have the ability to self-repair." The robot replied, figuring that Sonic wouldn't understand the concept of nanorobots. They flew under the moonlight to the hidden village of Knothole. When they landed outside the entrance, Metal-2 set Sonic down.  
  
"So, you do know where Knothole is, don't you?" Sonic asked, somewhat surprised.  
  
"Affirmative. I fed Robotnik a bunch of lies back there." Metal-2 said, and then his red eyes changed from rectangular to upside-down U shapes for a moment.  
  
"I like your style." Sonic said to him.  
  
"I was created to be like you, after all." Metal-2 replied, and Sonic considered it.  
  
They then entered the village, and found that everyone was apparently asleep. Little did they know that Sally and Tails were waiting for the return of Sonic. They had decided against telling anyone about everything that had happened as it would've only caused more panic. They were worried, and nearly jumped out of their skins when there was a knock at the door. Sonic and Metal-2 were on the other side of it, and the robot had already fixed the various dings and dents on his head. Tails welcomed them both in; Sally only welcomed Sonic. After a barrage of greetings and hellos from both parties, the conversation began.  
  
"Well, Aunt sally, what do you say about Metal now?" Tails asked, getting the question out early. Sally rubbed her chin, looking the robot over.  
  
"I'm still not sure. If there's one thing I know about Robotnik, it's that he'll do anything to win." She replied, unsure.  
  
"Come on, Sal. He could've had me dead back there. Instead, he saved me from bleeding to death." Sonic told her, showing his bandaged arm. Sally was outnumbered here.  
  
"Well, I guess he can stay, if you both believe him. But I want a close, constant watch imposed on that thing. Understand?" Sally decided, and Tails raised his hand.  
  
"I'll go first!" He cheered. "I can't wait to find out what makes him tick."  
  
Metal-2 was a little nervous at the comment. "I'd rather not be taken apart, if you don't mind."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll just ask you about everything." Tails replied, happily.  
  
"Careful, Metal. Once Tails gets into a conversation like that, he's been known not to quit!" Sonic joked, grinning at Tails.  
  
"How can these two be joking at a time like this?" Sally wondered. She sighed, and seeing that Sonic was safe, left to find her own home. Sonic was tired from the events of the day, and left Tails to stand guard over Metal-2 all alone. He wasn't worried though. At least, not entirely. What sally had said about Robotnik doing anything was starting to get to him, but he wouldn't admit to having second thoughts about trusting the robot.  
  
Tails got to know many of the intricate inner workings of Metal-2 that night through a constant series of questions and answers. He planned to show his knowledge off in front of Rotor the next day, if he got a chance. The conversations soon tired Tails out after the first few hours, and he fell asleep on the couch shortly before sunrise of the next day. Yet again, Metal-2 could've taken him out, but he was beginning to see Tails as a true friend. The robot, incapable of sleeping, sat down in a chair and waited for everyone to get back up the next day.  
  
Meanwhile, in Robotropolis, Robotnik was furious. He slammed his fists into the walls, yelling. "HOW?! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!" He yelled as he put another dent in the wall. "MY CREATION! IT WAS PERFECT! HOW COULD IT BETRAY ME?!"  
  
All this commotion had awakened Snively, and he couldn't help overhearing Robotnik. He entered the room as the scientist shouted his last question, and came up with a possible answer. "Maybe he was too perfect, sir. You gave him so much intelligence...maybe he didn't want to serve you." He added in his mind, "...And I don't blame him."  
  
Robotnik considered this, rubbing his chin. "Hmm...You might be on to something, Snively. I need to retake control of Metal-2." He said, and left the room to begin work on a way to get his robot back...  
____________________________________________________________________________ _________  
  
Okay, so this one was a little short, too. Sorry!  
  
Please review! 


	4. Chapter 4

Legal Stuff:  
  
I don't own any of the characters in this story except for Metal Sonic 2. The others are the properties of their respective owners.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Things are about to get problematic...but don't take my word for it; just keep reading!  
Chapter 4: More Problems  
The early hours of the morning were calm and peaceful in Knothole, and everyone slept well. Robotnik finished his project and decided to get some sleep himself before using it. This left time for the residents of the underground village to awaken and start their days. It was still fairly early when Sally came to check up on Sonic and Tails. She lightly knocked on the door, not sure of what she'd see.  
  
The door opened, and Sally found that it was Metal-2 that let her in. She nervously and quickly walked past the machine, and looked around the room. Almost immediately, Sally saw Tails asleep on the couch, with a blanket over him and a pillow under his head. She slowly approached the fox, and gently rubbed his head for a moment before turning around and seeing Metal-2 watching.  
  
"You missed your chance to kill them." Sally said solemnly. Metal-2 stepped forward a bit.  
  
"I have no intention of harming any of you." The robot replied, trying to sound as truthful as possible. "But you should know, Robotnik knows that I've betrayed him, and he'll be coming soon."  
  
"But he doesn't know where we are...does he?" Sally asked worriedly. The robot thought for a moment, and then looked back at her.  
  
"No, but if I do not leave, that may change. I'm equipped with a homing beacon. It's a problem I'll fix as soon as I can, but for now I should go." Metal-2 answered, and began to head for the door.  
  
Sally stopped him. "Metal..."  
  
He halted, and looked over at her. "Yes?"  
  
"Thanks...for not lying. I'm sorry about treating you so badly before." She sadly, looking at the ground. Metal-2 considered the statement, and replied.  
  
"Think nothing of it. You were merely protecting your interests, and are not at fault." He answered reassuringly. The robot then put his hand on the doorknob, but paused before turning it. He faced Sally again. "Would you mind doing me a favor?"  
  
"That depends." Sally said. "What is it?"  
  
"Could you please explain me to everyone? I don't think they'd hang around long enough to listen to me." He asked, hoping.  
  
"I'll take care of it." She answered, and Metal-2 nodded. He activated his holo-projector, and took on the appearance of Tails. Sally shuddered slightly, thinking. "I'll never get used to that..."  
  
The robot left the hut, closing the door behind him. The sound from it woke Tails up. He opened his eyes slightly, and searched around the room. He saw Sally, and then noticed the blanket and pillow.  
  
"Hey, I didn't have this stuff when I went to sleep..." He said to himself concerning the blanket and pillow. Sally looked down at him, wondering. She then thought of Metal-2 and smiled slightly "That robot really does want to help."  
  
There was another knock on the door, and Sally opened it to reveal Bunnie. The rabbit entered, speaking to Sally. "Hey, there, I just saw Tails goin' down the street, and-" She stopped when she saw Tails lying on the couch.  
  
Sally chuckled. "Bunnie, there's something I need to tell you..."  
  
Several minutes earlier, in Robotropolis...  
  
Robotnik circled the work table for what must've been the hundredth time, looking down on it. On the table was a blue robot, a rebuilt version of the original Metal Sonic. Robotnik knew that this machine wouldn't betray him, and planned to use it to subdue Metal-2. He held in his hand a small device with a large red button on it. He reached under the back of Metal Sonic's head, and hit a tiny switch. The robot activated, its red eyes appearing. Metal Sonic sat up on the table, and faced his creator.  
  
"Welcome back, Metal." Robotnik said to the machine. "I don't have time for any fancy greetings, so that will have to suffice. I have a job for you." Robotnik handed Metal Sonic the device.  
  
"And that would be?" Metal Sonic asked.  
  
"I need you to locate Metal-2. Use the data I've given you to track him down. Once you've found him, try to stay hidden." Robotnik answered.  
  
"And then?" Metal Sonic inquired, eagerly.  
  
"Use that device to override his programming. It will force him back onto the path of evil temporarily. Lead him back here where I will make repairs to his system. Understand?" Robotnik finished, and Metal Sonic nodded. "Good. Go immediately."  
  
Metal Sonic got off the table and left Robotropolis. He flew in the direction that Metal-2 was last seen heading in, and kept his scanners open for the robot's homing beacon. He finally located Metal-2 nearby, and stopped, hovering in the air. He was about to press the button on the device he was given when there was a scream from down below. Metal Sonic looked down, and saw a pink hedgehog in a small clearing of flowers. "That little brat is going to give away my position!" The robot realized, and flew downwards.  
  
Metal Sonic arrived on the ground almost instantly, and rushed towards Amy, tackling her. Amy cried out in pain as the robot forced her to the ground. Metal Sonic put his hand over her mouth to silence her, and was about to deliver a deadly stab with the pointed fingers of his other hand when a blue blur shoved him away and into a tree.  
  
"S-sonic?" Amy wondered, but was surprised to see Metal-2 standing in front of her.  
  
Metal Sonic recovered from the hit, and rushed at Metal-2 vengefully. Metal-2 backed away a bit and pulled his right hand behind him. He curled the hand into a fist as Metal Sonic drew nearer. Metal-2 swung his fist around, putting his whole weight into a devastating punch that impacted Metal Sonic's face, denting it inwards and cracking the robot's visor. Metal Sonic was thrown to the ground by the hit, and lie there motionless.  
  
"Metal! You saved me!" Amy cheered, and the robot turned around and approached her.  
  
"Amy...Are you all right?" The robot asked, and felt the same odd twinge as before when he saw her. Metal-2 extended a hand and helped her up, and was caught off guard when she jumped into a tight hug.  
  
He wasn't sure how to react, but didn't have long to think about it because Amy suddenly stopped in her cheering and pointed at the battered Metal Sonic. "Metal! Look!" She shouted, and Metal-2 turned around just in time to see Metal Sonic's hand press the button on the control device. The arm dropped back down, and Metal-2 felt a sharp piercing pain in his mind. His eyes glowed extra-brightly for a moment before returning to normal as a new aura came over him.  
  
Metal-2 couldn't figure out why, but he felt the urge to do evil. He grabbed Amy, who was surprised by it, and took off into the sky.  
  
"Metal...What are you doing?! What's going on?!" She asked, beginning to worry.  
  
Metal-2 gave no answer, and just kept flying. Amy cried out, but was unheard. The two returned to Robotropolis, and were welcomed in. Robotnik soon realized that Metal Sonic had been in a fight, and knew he needed the control device back. So, to give him the needed time, he ordered that Metal-2 and Amy both be electrocuted until they were unconscious, and thrown in a holding cell at the edge of the city.  
  
As time passed, Robotnik recovered Metal Sonic and the device, and word of Metal-2 spread throughout Knothole. In the holding cell, Metal-2 was the first to come back online. He looked around, adjusting his focus to see the room more clearly. He no longer felt evil.  
  
The robot stood up off the ground, and saw Amy still unconscious nearby. "We have to get out of here..." Metal-2 thought as he approached Amy. The robot knelt down next to her, and felt a strange warmth inside. He gently shook her shoulder, and the hedgehog's eyes soon opened, and she saw Metal- 2. Amy quickly backed away into a corner and shrunk down into a ball, trying to avoid Metal-2.  
  
"No...Please, don't hurt me..." Amy pleaded as Metal-2 walked towards her.  
  
"Amy...I'm not going to hurt you. I don't know what came over me before, but what you saw wasn't who I am." Metal-2 explained. "I think it has something to do with that device that Metal Sonic had."  
  
Amy forced a peek up at him. "Are you okay now?" Was all she could say.  
  
"I'm fine now. Please, you have to believe me." The robot replied.  
  
"I...I don't know what to believe anymore..." Amy mumbled, and hid her face in her knees, crying. Metal-2 couldn't stand to see her this way. He put his hand on her head gently.  
  
"I'm sorry if I hurt you before...But whatever came over caused me to lose control. I'm sorry, but it wasn't my fault." He said, soothingly as he knelt down in front of her. Amy looked up at him through tearful eyes.  
  
Amy began to cry more deeply, her whole body shaking with it. She fell forward into Metal-2's arms, and cried on his shoulder. Metal-2 couldn't figure out why, but he knew what to do. He lightly hugged her, rubbing the back of her head.  
  
"Amy, please...stop crying...I can't bear to see you like this..." Metal-2 said quietly. Amy slowly calmed down, tears running down her cheeks.  
  
"Metal...I'm so afraid..." She told him, and let Metal-2 hold her close. "Are we going to make it out alive?"  
  
"I'll make sure of it." Metal-2 said, confidently. When Amy relaxed more, he stood up and approached the outer wall. It stood between them and freedom, and Metal-2 decided that he would change that. He stepped back away from it. "Amy, get behind me." He warned, and she did so. Metal-2 focused on the wall, and began to charge up the lasers that were mounted near his shoulders. Two bright orbs of energy gathered in front of him, one in front of each laser, and after building up a substantial amount of power, he unleashed twin laser beams into the wall. They progressively blasted a hole in the wall until the path to the outside was clear. The lasers fizzled out as the last bit of wall fell away.  
  
"Metal, that was amazing!" Amy exclaimed after seeing the damage.  
  
"Thank you. Now let's get out of here." He said, and faced her. "May I carry you?" H asked?  
  
Amy thought for a moment. "Well...okay, sure. Just try to be more careful than the last time."  
  
"I will." He said.  
  
Metal-2 reached down and pushed his arm into the back of her knees, and put his other arm against her back. Amy fell into his arms, and put her hands around his neck. The robot turned around, facing the hole. He ran out through it, and then took off into the air. He had to fly using just his leg jets since Amy was in the way of his body jet's air intake. They made their way back towards Knothole, and Metal-2 noticed that it was already almost noon.  
  
"Amy...What were you doing in that clearing this morning?" Metal-2 asked, making conversation.  
  
"I was picking some flowers...for my hero..." She answered.  
  
"Your hero? And who might that be?" Metal-2 wondered.  
  
Amy looked up at him. "...I'm...not sure anymore..."  
  
They headed back to Knothole, and finally arrived. Metal-2 set Amy down next to the entrance, and they went in. Metal-2 had forgotten to activate his disguise, but it was too late. Fortunately, the majority of the residents had taken Sally's word that Metal-2 wasn't evil, and didn't panic when they saw him. Still, they were a bit surprised as he and Amy walked to Sonic's home. They were welcomed in by Sonic himself, and everyone sat down.  
  
"Everyone, we have a problem." Metal-2 began. "Metal Sonic has been rebuilt, and Robotnik has a device that can force me to be evil."  
  
"It's true." Amy continued. "He saved me from Metal Sonic, but then that weird control thing was turned on and Metal here kidnapped me. The next thing I knew, we were in jail together. He broke us out."  
  
"This isn't good. Metal me is one tough cookie." Sonic thought out loud.  
  
"But now we've got our own robot!" Tails stated happily. "Metal can help us."  
  
"I will do whatever I can." Metal replied. "But first I'll take care of that pesky homing beacon of mine." He turned to face Tails. "I'll need your help, though."  
  
"No problem!" Tails answered.  
  
"Even if our robot can handle his, we still have that control device to deal with." Sally reminded them. "Metal, is there any easy way to deal with that?"  
  
"Not that I know of." Metal-2 responded. "We'll need to destroy the device."  
  
"Wouldn't he just make another one?" Sonic asked.  
  
"He's right." Sally said. "Instead of destroying it, let's try and capture it. Then maybe we can study it and find a way to keep future control devices from working."  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me." Amy replied.  
  
Meanwhile, in Robotropolis, repairs on Metal Sonic were finally complete. Robotnik was furious when he found out about Metal-2 and Amy's escape.  
  
"Next time," He swore, "I won't fail." The scientist then prepared his flying ship. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself..." He grumbled as he got into the machine. Holding the control device in one hand, he took off with Metal Sonic not far behind. He went off toward the area where Metal Sonic had encountered Metal-2, and planned to follow the homing beacon from there.  
  
Little did he know that at that moment, the beacon was being removed. A large silvery panel of armor on Metal-2's top quill slid out of the way to allow access to the internal circuitry. The beacon was installed near Metal-2's computer core, and Tails carefully reached in with a special tool to remove it. The others anxiously watched as the fox performed the brain surgery, and finally pulled out the beacon.  
  
"Got it!" Tails told them while proudly holding it up.  
  
"Cool, but now what do we do with it?" Sonic asked.  
  
Sally provided the answer. "We get it as far away from Knothole as we can."  
  
"I'll take care of that." Sonic said, smiling.  
  
Tails handed Sonic the beacon, and he rushed out the door. The blue hedgehog accelerated as he left Knothole, and the forest, and out into a wide open field where he and Tails would race every now and then. Sonic really poured on the speed, becoming a blur as he went along. He kept going until he reached the ocean, and saw a large rock formation that would serve as a perfect quarter pipe. The hedgehog dashed up it, soaring into the air.  
  
"Bon voyage!" He shouted as he threw the device far out into the water where it promptly sank. Sonic then made his way back, arriving near the entrance just in time to see Robotnik and Metal Sonic nearby. Sonic hurried in, and kicked up dust all the way home.  
  
"Guys, we've got trouble! Robotnik is knocking on Knothole's doorstep!" A frantic Sonic reported. "And Metal Sonic's with him!"  
  
"What?! No!" Sally shouted. "We have to get him away from here!"  
  
"Let's go, Metal!" Sonic said to Metal-2.  
  
"On my way." The robot replied.  
  
The two blue fighters hurried out of the secret entrance, and hid in the trees, watching Robotnik. The scientist was confused at the moment; he couldn't get a reading on the homing beacon. Metal Sonic then noticed something moving through the trees.  
  
"Sir, something's down there..." He started. Metal Sonic scanned whatever it was, and discovered it to be Sonic. "It's the hedgehog!"  
  
"Take him out!" Robotnik ordered, and Metal Sonic moved in to attack.  
  
Sonic saw the robot coming toward him, and knew that he and Metal-2 were in for a fight...  
____________________________________________________________________________ _________  
  
How was that?  
  
Please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

Legal Stuff:  
  
I don't own any of the characters in this story except for Metal Sonic 2. The others are the properties of their respective owners.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
It's time for a fight! And...stuff...yeah!  
Chapter 5: Crazy Sonic Battle  
"Okay..." Sonic thought to himself. "Bring it on!" The hedgehog dashed out from behind the trees, and met Metal Sonic in a clearing. They stared each other down, steeling themselves for battle. Metal-2 saw an opportunity, and snuck around behind Robotnik.  
  
"Hey, fatty!" Metal-2 shouted as he armed his blasters and fired a few shots at Robotnik's ship. They did minimal damage, but alerted the scientist to the robot's presence. He spun the ship around to face Metal- 2.  
  
"You! I have you now!" Robotnik shouted, and held up the control device. It was exactly what the robot wanted him to do. Metal-2 aimed carefully and fired his right arm blasters. The shots hit Robotnik's wrist, and he dropped the remote as he pulled his hand back in.  
  
"Thanks for the gift!" Metal-2 said to him as he rushed over and picked the device up. He quickly tossed it into his leg compartment, and faced the scientist.  
  
"I'll make you pay for that!" The man responded, and pulled a lever in his ship. A large chaingun lowered from the bottom of the vehicle, and its six barrels began to revolve.  
  
Meanwhile, Sonic had engaged in a fight with his robotic self. They streaked back and forth through the forest, clashing together in quill- filled tackle attacks. They both landed in the clearing, Sonic breathing heavily and Metal Sonic plotting his next move.  
  
"Is that all you've got?" the robot asked.  
  
"Nope" Sonic forced out. "I've got plenty more..."  
  
"Then let's dance!" Metal Sonic challenged, and Sonic accepted it.  
  
The robot flew toward Sonic, and the hedgehog rolled to the side just in time to evade the hit. Metal Sonic couldn't stop quickly enough and slammed into a tree. He quickly pulled himself from it, and turned around. As soon as he did, Metal Sonic found himself being hit in the face by a spinning blue ball. Sonic bounced off the robot, and landed several feet away.  
  
Robotnik took aim at Metal-2 and began firing. Metal-2 used his leg jets to strafe around the ship, and they both continued to face each other as they moved. A trail of bullet holes in the dirt followed Metal-2, and no matter how hard Robotnik tried, he couldn't catch his aim up to the machine. Without warning, Metal-2 shot straight up into the air, high above Robotnik.  
  
"Huh? Where'd he go?" The scientist frantically wondered as he looked back and forth between his radar and the sky. There was a tiny shimmer far off on the horizon, and a few seconds later, Metal-2 erupted forwards, flying head-on into Robotnik's ship. There was a deafening shriek of twisting metal as the robot impacted, and Robotnik was knocked unconscious as Metal-2 continued to push him and his ship away.  
  
Sonic and Metal Sonic took each other on again, and the robot managed to chance a grab on Sonic's arm. He spun around and hurled Sonic into the air. The hedgehog arced across the sky and landed in a nearby river. The trauma of it all resulted in Sonic being barely aware of what was happening, and the swift current forced him into a large tree root, and the hedgehog grabbed onto it, saving him from drowning. Metal Sonic was approaching quickly, though, making his way through the trees. Sonic felt someone tugging at his shoulder, and found himself being pulled out of the water.  
  
"Thanks..." Sonic instinctively said as his vision cleared to see who it was.  
  
"You're welcome, Sonic." His rescuer answered, and Sonic realized that it was Tails.  
  
"What are you doing here? Don't you know it's dangerous?" Sonic asked, and Tails barely had time to answer.  
  
"I snuck out to help you. I can't let you do this alone!" He said just as Metal Sonic arrived on the other side of the water.  
  
Sonic got to his feet with Tails's help, and they faced Metal Sonic. The robot was dented up, and his left head spike was broken off, but he refused to give up. He began to hover a few inches above the ground, and charged at them. Tails pulled Sonic out of the way, and Metal Sonic narrowly missed hitting another tree.  
  
Sonic faced Tails. "Thanks for your help, big guy, but you need to get out of here."  
  
Tails looked into Sonic's eyes, and shook his head slowly. "No, Sonic, I'm gonna prove to you what I can do!" The fox then escaped from Sonic and rushed off after the enemy robot. Sonic had no choice but to give chase after them both.  
  
Far away, Metal-2 had finally slowed to a stop. He looked down at the wreckage of Robotnik's ship, and saw the scientist barely alive inside of it. The robot's head was badly damaged, and its delicate internal components were exposed. Metal-2's computer core was encased in several layers if various materials, creating a nearly indestructible shell for it. As such, it was undamaged, allowing Metal-2 to stay alive. However, many of the sensors in his head were disabled or destroyed, so he had little knowledge of where he was. His vision was failing, and he quickly landed.  
  
"REPAIRS NEEDED." Metal-2's secondary computers told him, and he rested a hand on the damaged chaingun that was attached to the remains of Robotnik's ship. It was made of metal that could be converted into new parts for him, and he decided to use it as a source of material. The robot deployed a swarm of nanytes, which dismantled an area of the gun part by part and carried it up to his head. The process was fairly slow, and Metal- 2 sat down next to the gun with his hand on it as the tiny robots continued. He knew that patrols would be coming soon to recover Robotnik, and hoped he'd have enough time.  
  
As this was happening, Sonic and Tails were busy with a failing Metal Sonic. Despite Sonic's numerous orders to leave, Tails continued to fight. Sonic wouldn't admit it, but he secretly wanted to see what Tails could do. So he didn't put much force behind his commands. They rushed back and forth at Metal Sonic, surrounding him and hitting with spin attacks when the chance came up. Metal Sonic tried repeatedly to grab them when they came near, and almost succeeded a few times, but couldn't manage to do it. And he was taking damage fast.  
  
"Come on, Tails, he can't take much more!" Sonic shouted to the fox.  
  
"Let's get him!" Tails answered, noticing that Sonic was supporting his efforts this time.  
  
They backed away, one on each side of the robot. Metal Sonic looked back and forth between them, and began to realize what they were going to do. His fears were confirmed when his opponents both charged up spin dash attacks and simultaneously came at him. Metal Sonic tried to jump out of the way, but all his damage prevented him from being fast enough. The robot took the hit harshly as bits and pieces of him were torn off and flung every which way.  
  
Sonic and Tails dug in like buzz saws, slowly loosing momentum. Metal Sonic was falling apart and his legs were quickly gone. His body and head suffered after the arms were torn off, and the attacks continued until Sonic and Tails were too tired to continue. With their last bits of energy, they jumped away from the robot just as he went up in a massive explosion. The shockwave rumbled through the forest, chasing birds from trees. Sonic and Tails sat down next to each other against a tree.  
  
"Whew...That was pretty good, buddy." Sonic said, breathing heavily.  
  
"Thanks..." Tails answered, also straining for air. "It was kinda fun."  
  
"Now you see why I like it so much." Sonic told him.  
  
"Like what so much?" A voice surprised them both. Sally walked out from the trees. She saw the damage, and the crater that Metal Sonic had left.  
  
"Aunt Sally, it was soooo cool!" Tails cheered, but was quickly calmed by a disapproving look from Sally. She sighed, shaking her head.  
  
"Tails, how many times have I told you that--" She started, but was interrupted by Sonic.  
  
"Oh, come off it, Sal. Tails did a good job, and I couldn't have done it without him" The hedgehog told her sternly. "It's time we realized that he's not just a kid."  
  
Tails gave a pleading look to Sally, and she glanced back and forth between it and Sonic's stern face. Finally, she tossed her arms in the air and sighed. "I give up!" She told them, and quietly added to herself. "...Sometimes I wonder if my princess title means anything anymore..."  
  
Sonic chuckled at this as Tails celebrated. The orange of the late afternoon sky was pierced slightly by something blue in the air, and Sonic was the first to notice it. It was Metal-2, and he landed near them. They weren't sure if he was friend or foe, but their question was soon answered when a pink blur blew past them and into Metal-2. They all looked to see Amy Rose hugging Metal-2 tightly. The robot was fully repaired, but caught off guard by Amy.  
  
"Oh, Metal, I'm so glad to see that you're safe!" Amy cheered as she embraced the robot.  
  
"Looks like there's another advantage to having him around." Tails whispered to Sonic, leaning over to him. The hedgehog snickered and nodded.  
  
When Amy had calmed down, Metal-2 approached the rest of them. He reached into his leg compartment, and pulled out the control device. The robot walked over to Sally and handed it to her.  
  
"I hope you find this useful." He said, and Sally nodded.  
  
Sonic looked up at Amy. "Hey, Amy, what's with all the cheering for Metal? I thought you were MY fan!" He joked.  
  
"Oh, I am. I was just repaying him for this morning." She answered, happily.  
  
After a while, they all began returning home. Metal-2 stayed outside, however. He would've been the last to go in, so no one noticed that he stayed behind. No one, that is, except for Amy. She had the door to Knothole open in her hand, but saw that Metal-2 wasn't coming. Amy let the door close as she approached the machine.  
  
"Hey...Aren't you coming in?" She asked, curiously.  
  
"No, not yet. There's something I've been wanting to do." He answered, looking up at the sky.  
  
"Really? What?" Amy wondered, and Metal-2 turned his head to face her.  
  
"There are a lot of things I've missed out on since I was created. I've only been around a couple of days now, but my mind feels much older. It's full of knowledge, but has little experience of anything in life." He said, and Amy thought about what he said for a moment before answering.  
  
"Like what?" She asked him, and Metal-2 rubbed his chin.  
  
"Well, seeing as how it's so late in the day, I suppose I should start with a sunset. It's almost time." He said, and began to lift into the air to see above the trees.  
  
Amy looked up to him. "Metal, wait..."  
  
The robot stopped mid-air, and looked down at her. "Yes?"  
  
Amy looked down at the ground for a moment before returning her view to the robot. "Can I come with you? It's been ages since I took the time to see one."  
  
"Certainly." The robot responded. He flew down and opened his arms. Amy hopped into them, and they rose above the forest canopy. The sun was a bright amber in color as they both watched it set together.  
  
"So what did you think of it?" Amy asked after it was over.  
  
"I'm not certain that I thought anything of it. That's the problem. Something like that is beyond my reach, I think." He answered.  
  
"I don't know about that. You were the one who wanted to see it, so there must be something in you that understands." Amy told him.  
  
Metal-2 looked at her face for a moment, and then back at the horizon. "I don't know. Lately I've been trying to figure out what I'm capable of in terms of understanding."  
  
"Can you feel emotions?" She asked, wondering if it were possible.  
  
"I know I can simulate them, but I don't know if I can feel them. I don't know what it's like to feel anything, so I may never know." He told her, sadly.  
  
Amy looked into his eyes as he watched the horizon. She felt sorry for him, and wished she could help. "But what can I do?" Amy silently wondered.  
  
They began to descend toward the ground, and soon made a landing. Metal-2 carried Amy to Knothole's entrance, and gently put her down. They went inside, and made their way to one of the buildings that served as a sort of hotel for those passing by, such as Amy. Metal-2 walked her up to the door, and opened it for her.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." The robot said, looking at the ground. Amy walked up to him.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so..." She said, and gave him a quick hug before entering. Metal-2 let the door close as he left to get to Sonic's house.  
  
The robot arrived, and was greeted by Sonic. The robot walked in, and sat down next to Tails, who was eating something. The fox looked up at him.  
  
"Want some?" He asked, jokingly.  
  
Metal-2 shook his head. "No thanks, I don't eat." He tapped a finger on his muzzle. "No mouth."  
  
"Heh heh, I know." Tails said, happily. "It's a joke."  
  
"Oh..." Metal-2 replied, and his eyes shifted around a bit as he stared toward the ground, thinking.  
  
Sonic walked in, carrying some food. "Lay off, Tails, you're confusing him. I think his mind's been through enough today." He said, smiling.  
  
"You have NO idea..." Metal-2 thought to himself, going over the day in his mind. He replayed the various events, but one thing kept coming back to him: Amy. He couldn't figure out why, though.  
  
Meanwhile, far away...  
  
The blackness of night was broken by several searchlights as a group of flying robots scanned the area. The beam of the light slowly came over the collapsed Robotnik and the wreckage that surrounded him. The robots hovered down and freed the scientist from it. They carried him back to Robotropolis, where he would recover from his injuries...  
____________________________________________________________________________ _________  
  
Why won't the fat guy die?!  
  
And what's with Metal-2 and Amy?  
  
Stay tuned, and please review! 


	6. Chapter 6

Legal Stuff:  
  
I don't own any of the characters in this story except for Metal Sonic 2. The others are the properties of their respective owners.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Time for a break...for now...  
Chapter 6: A Lull In The Storm  
The nearly dead body of Robotnik was transported into the dark city of Robotropolis. The robots automatically placed him inside of a special machine that would force his body to heal itself at an accelerated rate. His vital signs rose into safe levels, and much to Snively's chagrin, he survived.  
  
It was now a little past midnight, and nearly everyone was asleep. Metal-2, being incapable of sleep, stayed up to contemplate the day. The robot was sitting on the couch in Sonic's home as he did so. They finally trusted him enough to go to sleep when he was around. There was much to be done tomorrow, and Metal-2 knew it. All he could do now, however, was wait.  
  
Daybreak came with the cawing of crows, and the weather seemed clear. As the residents of Knothole began to awaken, Metal-2 was ready to begin work. He knew that Robotnik had survived, and wished that he hadn't been so damaged before. It's the damage that kept him from killing the scientist when he had the chance. But the robot swore to himself to finish the job next time.  
  
There was the sound of footsteps from the other room, and Metal-2 turned his head to see a sleepy Sonic enter the room. The shoeless hedgehog weakly waved and mumbled a 'good morning' to the robot as he entered the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning, Sonic." Metal-2 replied.  
  
There were several clinking noises from the kitchen, and Metal-2 tilted his head slightly, wondering what they could be. After a moment, he stood up and entered the room. He was met with the sight of a mountain of chilidogs being put into a microwave. The robot watched as Sonic squeezed them in.  
  
"Uh...Sonic?" Metal-2 began. "Isn't it a little early for those?"  
  
Sonic looked at him confidently and fully awake, and spoke. "Nonsense, Metal. Chilidogs are good anytime!" He finished with a bright grin, and the robot just sighed and left the room.  
  
By the time Sonic was finished, Tails was awake and had eaten breakfast as well. They met their robotic friend in the front room to discuss the day's plans.  
  
"I think the first thing we should do is check up on Aunt Sally." Tails told them. "We need to help her figure out how to make that remote work for us."  
  
Sonic turned to the fox. "Good plan, little buddy. I think making sure Metal here doesn't go nuts on us is priority number one!"  
  
"Then let's get to it." The robot said, and they went out the door.  
  
Metal-2 looked around at the underground village. Sonic and Tails were headed toward the home of Sally, but Metal-2 stopped following them, and looked in a different direction. Something inside him wanted to go to the hotel and check up on Amy, but he couldn't figure out why. He shrugged it off, and hurried after the others.  
  
After a short trip, they arrived at Sally's. Sonic was about to knock on the door, but stopped when he saw a note tacked on it. He looked it over, reading. It said simply: "Gone to Rotor's". The hedgehog turned around and looked at the other two.  
  
"Well," He said. "it looks likes she's not home. Let's check Rotor's place."  
  
The other two agreed, and off they went. Meanwhile, far away in Robotropolis, The evil scientist was back on his feet. Robotnik wasn't happy with this recent turn of events, and wanted to put a stop to it. He had ordered the construction of another remote, which he now held in his hand. Robotnik had a devious grin and dark thoughts on his mind as he looked into the thick glass of a robot container.  
  
"I had hoped that you would never be needed..." he said, tapping his finger to the glass. "But with Metal-2's experimental programming, I couldn't be sure."  
  
There was a long pause as he examined the robot inside. It looked like a simplified version of Metal-2, having no extra armor panels, only one head spike, and lacking a turbine engine for a body. There was a single, large pointy quill that ran along the length of each lower arm and leg. The wide parts were nearest to the wrists and ankles, and two small weapon barrels stuck out slightly from both arm spikes. The shoulder pads were large orbs, each with a single large quill sticking out from the back. The machine's upper back housed two small thrusters, as did the feet.  
  
The top of the robot's chamber was labeled with the words: "SECURITY UNIT 'BLUR' ANTI-MS-02"  
  
Robotnik reached over to the side of the tube, and pulled a lever. The glass chamber began to empty of liquid as the release sequence started. "Your time has come, Blur." He said over the hiss of the tube's machinery. The scientist began to chuckle, quietly at first, but soon growing to the traditional evil dictator laugh.  
  
Back in Knothole, Sonic and the others were surprised to find that Sally and Rotor had managed to figure out most of what they wanted to know. With a little additional help from Metal-2, they successfully made him immune to the remote's effects; or at least more resistant to them.  
  
"I admit, it isn't perfect, but it's better than nothing." Rotor commented after the modifications were made. "You should be fine as long as the remote's signal doesn't become too strong."  
  
"Thank you, Rotor." Metal-2 replied. "What now?"  
  
Sally rubbed the back of her neck as she thought about an answer. "Well..." She began. "I guess it's back to what we were planning before all this happened."  
  
"Hey, that's right!" Sonic exclaimed. "We need to hit Robotnik now before he can get that refinery back up." He looked around at all of them. "Are you with me?"  
  
He started for the door, but Sally grabbed onto his shoulder, stopping him. "Hold on, Sonic. We can't just go rushing in there without a plan."  
  
"Aw, why not?" The hedgehog replied, half-honestly.  
  
They began to argue back and forth as Rotor shook his head slowly, and faced the others. "This could take a while. Why don't we go catch a break until they've settled down?  
  
And they left, leaving Sonic and Sally behind to 'discuss' the fine art of invading a city. Rotor and Tails went in opposite directions, leaving Metal-2 alone. He looked around, and again felt a strong urge to visit Amy. Seeing that he had nothing better to do, and with a hope of figuring out why he felt the way he did, Metal-2 left in the direction of the hotel. When he was about halfway there, he was stopped by the point of a blade weapon. The robot looked to its owner, and scanned him, discovering that it was Antoine.  
  
"Hold it right zere, mister!" the coyote spoke, threatening Metal-2 with the sword.  
  
The robot pushed the blade aside with his index finger, and stared at Antoine, annoyed. "What do you want?" He asked impatiently. The robot felt a strong need to get to Amy, and Antoine was getting in the way.  
  
"You must be ze new robot zat Sally told me about..." He answered. "Well, for ze record, I don't believe zat you are really on our zide."  
  
"Outta my way." Metal-2 said, slightly pushing Antoine aside as he walked by.  
  
The coyote turned around and pointed at Metal-2 with his sword as he spoke. "Hey, you come back here, or else I'll...I'll..."  
  
He was cut off by Metal-2 when the robot stopped and turned his head slightly, glaring at Antoine with a single glowing red eye. "Or you'll what?!" He nearly shouted.  
  
Antoine was motionless for a moment as the angry stare of the robot got to him. He sheathed his sword, crossed his arms, and stuck his nose up. "Hmph. I don't have time for ze likes of you."  
  
Metal-2 could've killed him. Fortunately for Antoine, the robot remembered his new allegiance, and stormed off toward the hotel instead. He managed to calm down as he got nearer, and was again happy as he entered the building. Upon learning the location of Amy's room from the manager, he made his way toward it. The robot didn't reach the room, however, as he instead bumped into Amy in the hallway.  
  
"Hey, Metal." She cheerfully greeted. "What's up?"  
  
"Nothing much. I just wanted to see how you were doing." Metal-2 told her.  
  
Amy looked up at him. "Oh...well, as you can see, I'm just fine."  
  
Metal-2 realized that they would need a topic if this conversation were to live much longer. He quickly came up with one. "Hey, I think we fixed that problem with my mind."  
  
"Huh?" Amy asked, confused.  
  
"You know, the one that lets Robotnik take over my mind? I think we fixed that problem." He responded. Amy nodded, understanding.  
  
She then smiled, and spoke. "That's great, Metal. I was going to try flower picking again today. Wanna come?" After a moment of not getting an answer, she noticed that the robot hadn't taken his eyes off hers. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Metal-2 snapped out of it, shaking his head. "No...Why?"  
  
"No reason." Amy said after thinking for a second or two.  
  
There was an uneasy pause as they both tried to think of something to say. This time, Amy came up with it. She glanced around for a moment, hoping for an alternative statement, but none came. She finally looked back up to Metal-2. "So...I...guess I'll see you later, then..."  
  
"I uh...I guess so..." Metal-2 said, and they stared at each other briefly before going their separate ways. Metal-2 eventually came outside, some time after Amy had left to go up to the surface, and saw Sonic running around. When the hedgehog saw him, Sonic came up to the machine.  
  
"Metal, there you are!" He started. "I was looking all over the place for you."  
  
"Well, I'm here. What is it?" He asked.  
  
"Sally and the others want your input on our plan. We figure you'd know Robotropolis better than any of us." He answered, and led the robot back to his house.  
  
When they arrived, they found that many of the Freedom Fighters had assembled around a table that was covered in various maps and documents, and were talking about various ideas and such. They all stopped when Metal- 2 came in.  
  
"Ah, here's our guest of honor." Sally announced as Metal-2 entered after Sonic. "Metal, we were hoping you could give us a hand."  
  
"I will do what I can. Let me see those maps there..." The robot told them, reaching for one of the maps. He was looking them over when there was a sudden beeping noise came from the other side of the room.  
  
Everyone looked over and watched as Sally took Nicole out of her jacket pocket, and opened the device up. The small computer spoke with a slight tone of urgency.  
  
"Sally, I'm picking up a message that's being broadcast on all frequencies." Nicole told her.  
  
"Display it." Sally answered, and the computer did so.  
  
A small hologram appeared from Nicole's projector, and it was the face of Robotnik. The room was stricken silent as the message played.  
  
"Listen to me, pathetic rebels! I have something, or should I say, someone that might interest you..." The video of Robotnik's face was replaced by that of Amy as his voice continued. "I'm proposing a trade. We each have someone that belongs to the other. If you send my robot back, I'll free this worthless hedgehog. And if you don't, well, I guess I'll have another slave to add to my ever-growing collection!"  
  
"Amy..." Metal-2 said to himself. He looked around the room, and saw everyone watching him. The robot looked to Sonic. "Sonic...What do you think?"  
  
"I don't know, Metal. If we send you, we might get Amy back, but then Robotnik would have another powerful machine. But if we don't, we'll lose her." He said.  
  
"Lose her?" Metal-2 asked, somewhat shocked. "I can't let that happen. I'm going."  
  
"Metal...do you have to go?" Tails asked, hoping to change the robot's mind. "We need you here..." He said, looking down at the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry, Tails." Metal-2 answered, looking away. He then left the house, and made his way out of Knothole. The robot faced the direction of Robotropolis, and took to the sky.  
  
"I can't let anything happen to her..." He thought as he flew. "But if I do fall to Robotnik's control, he could use all the data I've obtained, amongst other things...no, I can't let that happen, either." He thought for a moment, and then made a promise to himself: He would self-destruct before submitting to Robotnik. It was the only way.  
  
In Robotropolis, Robotnik stood in a large, empty room. Amy was strapped to the wall behind him, and Blur stood in front of him. He paced about, impatiently waiting for Metal-2. Eventually, he faced Amy, and decided to explain his plan.  
  
"When that reject gets here...heh heh heh...He's expecting me to take him over...and I'll try..." He looked down at his hand, which held his new remote. "But if that fails, then I'll just destroy him and get it over with! Ha ha ha!" He waited a moment before adding: "Either way, I'm not letting YOU go."  
  
Amy couldn't stand to hear it. Her eyes watered slightly as she shouted to him. "NO! You can't do that! Not to Metal!"  
  
"What do you care?" Robotnik asked, cruelly. "Not that it matters."  
  
Amy was about to shout something, but stopped. She hesitated for a moment, and calmly spoke. "Why would you want to destroy him?" She asked, trying to change his thoughts. "He must've taken a lot of work to make..."  
  
"He did, but it's really quite simple: If I can't have him, no one will! I refuse to allow MY creation to work for YOUR side!" He confidently answered. "Now, you answer my question: Why do you care?" He wanted to know, now that she seemed protective of the robot.  
  
"It's none of your business!" She said, bravely.  
  
Robotnik just crossed his arms and calmly spoke. "Fine. I'll just pry the information from his computer's trashed remains."  
  
Amy's face broke into a horrified look for a moment as she visualized Metal- 2's destruction. She finally looked away and refused to speak to Robotnik anymore.  
  
The scientist, pleased with the emotional havoc he had caused, turned to face Blur. "Blur, do not attack unless I tell you to. I'm going to try and retake his mind again first. Understand?"  
  
Blur nodded, and returned to his original position. A few seconds later, he looked up slightly, focusing forward. Metal-2 had arrived...  
____________________________________________________________________________ _________  
  
Uh-oh! Another cliffhanger!  
  
Stay tuned, and Please review! 


	7. Chapter 7

Legal Stuff:  
  
I don't own any of the characters in this story except for Metal Sonic 2. The others are the properties of their respective owners.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
I likes the da fight scenes!  
Chapter 7: Run Around  
There was a loud crashing sound as the body of a SWATbot burst through a wall on the other side of the room. Walking through the smoke and dust, Metal-2 stepped over the wreckage, his glowing red eyes focused in front of him. He took note of the room, of Amy, Robotnik, and especially Blur.  
  
"I'm here, Robotnik." He said forcefully. "Free Amy. Now."  
  
Robotnik looked him in the eye, holding the remote in his hand at his side. "I don't like your attitude." He began slyly. "It's time for an adjustment." He said, and clicked the button.  
  
Metal-2 clenched his fists, and his head tilted forward slightly as he was stricken with pain. It slowly wore off as his recent upgrade fought off the remote's effect. After a moment of struggling with himself, Metal- 2 shook his head and regained focus.  
  
"What?! How could it fail?!" Robotnik yelled, shocked.  
  
"I'm not your pawn anymore, Robotnik." Metal-2 answered as he began to walk towards the scientist. "Your monster has turned against its creator." His tone changed to that of a joke for a moment as he gave the next phrase. "It's only typical."  
  
"Argh! It doesn't matter!" Robotnik growled, swinging his fist through the air. "Blur, attack!"  
  
The nimble robot stepped forward, standing several feet in front of Metal-2.  
  
"And just what are you?" Metal-2 asked, unafraid.  
  
Blur gave no answer, and instead vanished, only to instantly appear behind Metal-2. He turned around just as Blur again vanished and reappeared to Metal-2's left. And then again to the right. Blur kept doing so, circling Metal-2.  
  
Robotnik crossed his arms, and spoke to Metal-2. "Now you will suffer. Blur has been engineered specifically to attack your weaknesses!" And he finished with a slight laugh.  
  
Blur's speed increased, and he appeared to split into four identical robots, which surrounded Metal-2. The robot was surprised at first, but undeterred. "I've had enough of theses cheap parlor tricks!" Metal-2 said as he activated his blasters. He aimed at one of the robots and laid down a continuous stream of fire, hoping to hit Blur as he passed. The shots barely missed at first, but after several seconds, Metal-2 got a lucky hit on Blur's shoulder. The robot's momentum was disrupted, slowing him down and allowing Metal-2 to score more hits.  
  
But this time, the shots were stopped by an invisible barrier that surrounded Blur. The robot stood still, letting his shield take the hits. Metal-2 stopped firing, seeing that it was futile. Robotnik saw it, and couldn't resist commenting. "Your weapons are useless! Blur will take advantage of your every flaw!"  
  
Blur sipped around behind Metal-2, and swiped at him using the blade edge of his arm spike. Metal-2 saw the attack in time to dodge it, but barely. Blur came at him with a barrage of swipes, moving with incredible speed. Metal-2 was struck several times, tearing shallow gashes in his armor.  
  
Having had enough, Metal-2 surprised Blur with a kick to the chest. The lightweight robot was sent across the room, crashing at Robotnik's feet. It quickly stood back up, its shield weak. Metal-2 flew toward it in a tackle position. But he stopped and activated his blasters just as Blur moved out of the way. Metal-2 fired at Blur, catching him off guard. The robot's shield was badly damaged after being forced to activate like that.  
  
"Quit messing around, and get him!" Robotnik shouted, and Blur obeyed. The robot rushed forward, sliding around Metal-2's defense, and sliced the rubber covering of the backs of Metal-2's knees. The robot's internal parts were undamaged, allowing him to get out of the way of the next slice.  
  
Metal-2 fired his blasters, but Blur anticipated the attack and already had his shield up. It took minimal damage this time, as it was already active. That gave Metal-2 an idea. He flew forward, acting like he was about to kick Blur, and the robot jumped up to avoid it. But Blur's face met the unexpected fist of Metal-2, and the robot crashed to the ground. Metal-2 landed on top of it feet-first, and was about to fire when his target disappeared.  
  
Blur returned to view in the air above Metal-2, and aimed his blasters at the robot. Blur fired, and Metal-2 was thrown down, but quickly recovered and got to his feet. Blur landed, and the two robots circled each other, each gliding above the ground through flight. They rushed at each other, each throwing a punch, and both hit the other's chest.  
  
Metal-2 wasted no time in firing on Blur again, and finished of the robot's shield. It shattered, and Blur was hit by its force. The robot repaid Metal-2 by dashing forwards and kicking the back of Metal-2's leg. The robot began to fall over, and was hit from the side before he hit the ground. A barrage of attacks came from a blue and silver streak that rushed with blinding speed.  
  
With each blow, Metal-2 took more and more damage. His armor was weakening, and he had to find a solution. His mind rushed through everything he knew about Blur, and the attacks continued, even as Metal-2 stood up.  
  
"Metal!" Amy cried, helplessly as she watched the robot being ruthlessly beaten.  
  
Reminded of what he was fighting for, Metal-2 scanned around for Blur. The robot was almost moving too fast for him to track.  
  
Almost.  
  
Metal-2 reached out and grabbed Blur by the leg, sending the robot's face into the ground. He slammed his palm into Blur's back, trying to keep him there. Robotnik saw that things weren't going well, and had no choice but to move on to his emergency plan. He pulled a lever on the wall, and Blur reached back to grab Metal-2's arm. He did so, and the two robots disappeared in a flash of light.  
  
"What did you do to them?!" Amy shouted, her eyes desperately searching for Metal-2.  
  
"I've sent them to a special track of mine..." Robotnik replied, and pulled another lever. A large screen lowered from the ceiling, and on it appeared a straight, metal road that seemed to curve upwards forever. There was a flash, and they both watched as Metal-2 and Blur appeared on the track. Robotnik turned to Amy to explain. "It's time for plan B!"  
  
Blur rolled around and knocked Metal-2 away. He got up, and rushed off, running along the track. Metal-2, not knowing where he was or how he got there, decided to follow. As he was catching up, his scanners noticed something unusual about the gravity. He seemed to be in a tunnel of some sort, surrounded by metal.  
  
The robot soon caught up with Blur; and it had seemed almost too easy. Blur looked behind him for a moment as he flew just inches above the ground. He had his arms behind him as he flew, and the blasters were pointed in Metal-2's general direction.  
  
Suddenly, Blur aimed and fired, hitting Metal-2. The robot was surprised, but quickly caught on and began to dodge a seemingly endless barrage of lasers, which instead hit the ground. Metal-2 decided to return fire, and held his arms forward, bent at the elbows.  
  
Lasers flew both ways between them, rarely hitting either robot. The robots weren't still, either. They were not only constantly moving forward, but also all around, sometimes through the air, to the left and right, and even spiraling across the walls and ceiling of the tunnel. Each was busy dodging and firing, neither having the time to truly focus on either style.  
  
After a short while, Metal-2 began to notice laser burns on the floor, walls and ceiling. They would pass by at a regular rate, and that's when Metal-2 realized the truth. "Of course!" He thought. "The ground is always going up because we're in a giant loop!"  
  
Having knowledge of the environment, and what was coming up, Metal-2 confidently applied more power to his engines, and pulled ahead of Blur. The speedy enemy moved its blasters to a forward-facing position, and fired. Before Metal-2 could move on to the next phase of his plan, he was hit, and disrupted. The robot quickly turned around and flew backwards. Firing his arm blasters at Blur. Blur dodged and fired, but Metal-2 stopped dodging. He instead focused on aiming and shooting, and managed to get a number of hits on a failing Blur.  
  
However, this was not without its consequences. Blur was also able to hit Metal-2, and the two robots were tearing each other apart. The lasers shred through both machines' armor, and Metal-2 was beginning to destabilize.  
  
"Ha ha ha, wonderful!" Robotnik said, watching the carnage.  
  
"How can you say that?!" shouted Amy, horrified at it all. "That's an innocent life you're destroying!"  
  
Robotnik looked coldly at her. "No, it's a failed experiment. Now keep quiet and let me enjoy this!" he shouted, turning back to the screen. Amy promised herself that if she got out of all this, she would do something for Metal-2.  
  
The two robots were both beginning to flounder, and Metal-2 had opted to resort to physical combat. It soon became apparent that he was much stronger than Blur, but much slower. Still, when Metal-2 got a lucky grab on Blur's arm, he didn't let go. The robot slammed his fist into Blur's face repeatedly, bashing the machine's visor. Blur hit Metal-2 with a close-range blast from his arm weapon, and Metal-2 was forced to let go.  
  
"WARNING! ALL PARTS DAMAGED! 40-90% DAMAGE!" The status readouts of Metal-2's HUD displayed. He couldn't take much more. Fortunately, neither could Blur. But he had to make a decisive move now, or he risked losing the fight. "And that means losing Amy..." He realized, and it motivated him further.  
  
Metal-2 waited until Blur went for another slice attack, and back flipped immediately after grabbing his opponent's arm.. Metal-2 slammed Blur into the ground, and jumped away. "I hope this works..." Metal-2 thought as he began to feed power to his shoulder lasers. Blur had been nearly paralyzed after that last hit, and was shakily working to get back up.  
  
Metal-2 built up power in front of his shoulder lasers, and energy began to glow in front of them as waves of power were sucked in. The energy was condensed further, giving off a brilliant glow. Blur was just getting to his feet as Metal-2 relaxed his body to steady it, and fired.  
  
He unleashed two ultra bright twin lasers into Blur's damaged body. The lasers tore through Blur, exploding his joints and shattering his arms and legs in volatile fireballs. Small explosions ripped through what was left of the machine as it was slammed into the curved ground. The metal of Blur's body tore and broke away as it was either melted or blown off. Soon only the frame and the hardiest of internal components were left. Metal-2 gave one final burst of power, ending the beams obliterating what was left of his foe.  
  
Fire and smoke were mixed with debris that was ejected everywhere from the huge explosion that was caused by Blur's destruction. The force of it knocked Metal-2 back onto the ground, and, much to his surprise, he fell to the wall. The gravity had seemed to shift, and it caused Metal-2 to really wonder where he was. He then noticed a large hole in what had been the walls and ceiling in the vicinity of Blur's explosion. Weakly, a battered Metal-2 stepped up to the edge of the hole. He looked out, and was surprised to see Robotropolis.  
  
"What on Mobius?!" Metal-2 wondered. He then looked in the distance, and saw what appeared to be a tube on the far wall of the city. It ran along the edge of Robotropolis, and included the place where he now stood. "I get it! I was on the edge of the city the whole time!" He realized, and after a moment of thinking, remembered his mission.  
  
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Robotnik shouted, shoving his fist into the screen, shattering it. "I designed Blur to unstoppable to Metal-2!"  
  
"Yeah, well..." Amy began, "You designed Metal to imitate Sonic. And he does the impossible on a regular basis!" She cheerfully said, angering him.  
  
There was an explosion from the ceiling, and Metal-2 landed in the room. "You also designed me to be a killer." He said, facing Robotnik. "And my next target is right in front of me!"  
  
Metal-2 was horribly damaged, much of his armor gone, and with an electrical surge here or there. His frame was exposed, as were many of his fragile internal parts. His visor was cracked in several places, and one of his back spikes had been torn off. But still, he approached Robotnik with incredible determination.  
  
"Not today, robot!" The scientist yelled, and hit a switch on the wall behind him. A glass tube rose up from the floor around Amy. It slowly began to fill with a roboticization fluid, a catalyst that would make the process go quickly. "You have a choice to make!" Robotnik himself gave a quick evil grin to Metal-2 before disappearing through a door, which locked behind him.  
  
"No contest." Metal-2 thought to himself as he ran up to Amy. He had to break the promise he made to himself to finish Robotnik off, but it would be worth it to him. He reached up with his arms, still barely functional, and shattered the glass. The fluid rushed away, thinning out across the floor. Metal-2 freed Amy, and she hopped down to the floor. Metal-2's appearance worried her. It was eerie to see the moving parts inside of something that seemed so alive. The gyros in his head, the metal cables and hydraulics that moved his joints, and his metal endoskeleton which wasn't quite so 'endo' anymore.  
  
"Are you okay, Metal?" Amy asked. She knew he wasn't, but still felt the need to ask.  
  
"I will be, if we can get out of here." He told her. To Metal-2, something seemed too easy about their escape, now that he had defeated Blur. Forced to ignore it for now, they began to hurry away, towards the first hole Metal-2 had made in the room.  
  
"Not so fast, weaklings..." Robotnik said to himself as he watched them from a hidden room. Time for some insurance..." He flipped two switches on a nearby panel, and watched as Metal-2 and Amy fell down as the floor dropped out from under them.  
  
They found themselves in a dark room with four walls and a locked door. Metal-2 grabbed the large round piece of it that served as both a lock and a doorknob. He nearly broke himself turning it, but finally busted the lock and was about to swing the door open when a sudden vibration stopped him.  
  
"Wha-what is that?!" Amy asked, and then screamed while pointing at one of the walls. It was covered in small, thin spikes, almost needle-like in appearance. There were more on the opposite wall, and the two were moving toward them rather quickly. "We have to get out of here!" She shouted.  
  
Amy y ran for the door, but stopped when she heard a slam and Metal- 2's yell. She turned around and saw him holding the walls apart. However, his strength was failing, as was his body's integrity.  
  
"Amy! Get out now!" He said to her, but she ignored him and tried to pull him with her.  
  
"I'm not leaving without you!" She said as the vibration got worse.  
  
Metal-2's right main shoulder hydraulics went out, and the arm collapsed, allowing the wall to slam into the side of the robot. There wasn't much room left, nor was their time. His left arm was about to break, and then it would be too late for either of them. The vibration had rattled the door open, leaving a clear path to freedom.  
  
"You must escape!" Metal-2 shouted, and used the sub-motors in his right arm to shove Amy out through the open door. She fell to the ground, and was getting back up when she witnessed something strange of Metal-2.  
  
He had ordered his nanytes to sever all connections to the front of his head, effectively slicing it off. The front of his face was surrounded by a ring of white light for a moment, and then fell to the ground. Amy was speechless as Metal-2's left arm shattered, allowing the walls to begin squeezing his head and body. Metal-2 gave one last order to his body, and four small charges in his head exploded, ejecting his computer core. It landed at Amy's feet, and she instinctively snatched it up. She stood to the side of the door, leaning on the wall as she held the large, silvery core. It was almost cube shaped, but with several rectangular areas sticking out, and with rounded edges.  
  
Before she could do anything else, she heard the walls slam together. Metal-2's body exploded, and a massive blast ripped through the narrow gap between the walls. It went up into the ceiling, into the floor, into the walls, and past Amy, who was knocked down by the indirect force of it. The shockwave was made even stronger by the fact that it had been condensed, and shredded much of the machinery nearby.  
  
An explosion caught Amy's attention. It was from the pipes that lined a corner not too far away. Another one from the opposite direction upset her further, and she was soon surrounded by them. A floor support from above ripped through the metal ceiling and crashed into the ground in front of her as fire spread all around. Not knowing what else to do, she carried the core in tightly in her arms as she ran away from the explosions. The destruction was spreading, and it seemed to follow her, roaring after her. Remembering things she had seen from others, combined with some practice she had been performing lately, Amy began to run increasingly fast, becoming a pink blur.  
  
She dodged around falling support beams, and blasts of fire that burst from pipes. Falling debris from the ceiling rained down on her as she made her way out. Up and down, left and right. Such was the chaotic course that she was forced to take as she went. Seeing a clear exit ahead, she ran for it, giving it her all. Amy made it out just as the immense, fiery explosion reached the outside. It threw her, along with an immeasurable amount of debris, all across the Mobian countryside. Fortunately, Amy wasn't badly hurt, but was knocked unconscious by the blast.  
  
It ripped through an entire third of Robotropolis, shattering the dome and annihilating nearly everything in its path. The outer wall, the dome, the factories and buildings, many hapless Robians, all gone in one massive blast. Robotnik had survived, and rested against the back of his chair after having been on the edge of it for a while.  
  
"This is quite a setback..." Robotnik thought to himself. "But it's worth it. Detonating those bombs must've gotten rid of that reject of a robot!" He figured, looking at the second switch he had flipped. He ignored Snively, who was enraged at the scientist.  
  
Some time later...  
  
There was a faint murmur as Amy slowly woke up. She slowly opened her eyes, and noticed that she was in a bed of some sort. It was thin, and obviously not made for comfort. She was facing a wall, a plain one, and there was an odd scent in the air. She hesitated for a moment, and then made a move to try and get up, but stopped when she felt a hand against her shoulder.  
  
"Don't try to move..." A voice gently spoke to her. She was still too confused to be sure, but it sounded familiar. Whoever it was, she was facing away from it. "You've been unconscious for some time now. I was worried." It said.  
  
Things slowly cleared, and she found her voice. "Where...where am I?" She asked, weakly.  
  
"The hospital. I brought you here after the explosion." Was the answer she got.  
  
"Huh?' She wondered, and slowly turned around. Amy blinked a few times to clear her sight, and saw the face of none other than Metal-2. He gently rubbed the side of her head a few times. "Metal?" She asked. "Is that you?"  
  
The robot nodded. "It's me."  
  
"But...How did...I...I thought you were crushed..." She weakly told him.  
  
"I almost was, but thanks to you, my computer core made it out. And as for my body...well, a rather large chunk of debris landed almost on top of my core. After some treatment with my nanytes, I rebuilt my body. It didn't take as long as I was worried it might." He answered.  
  
A tear ran down her cheek, and she slid over to the edge of the bed. Amy leaned over it, reaching out for Metal-2. She put her arms around him, and he did the same for her. They shared a warm embrace, and Amy soon fell back asleep in the bed. Metal-2 waited beside it for the rest of the night, and even longer, until she was released.  
  
A day or two after her release, Metal-2 was playing a board game with Tails when Sonic suddenly rushed in the door.  
  
"Metal! We need you for something! Quick!" Sonic said, and left.  
  
Metal-2 looked to Tails, and left. The fox smiled, and followed the robot. They both followed Sonic to the Knothole castle throne room, where all of the citizens of Knothole were gathered. Sally stood in front of the throne, and watched as Metal-2, after some directions from Sonic, made his way up the aisle.  
  
He stopped in front of Sally, and Antoine leaned forward and held a scabbard up to Sally. She drew a sword from it, and faced Metal-2. The robot knelt down in front of her, and the crowd grew silent.  
  
"Metal" Sally began, "Having recognized your many heroic deeds in the face of battle, adversity, and prejudice," She touched the sword to his shoulder. "I hereby knight you a member of the royal court of Acorn!"  
  
Everyone cheered as Metal-2 stood up. Amy rushed up and nearly knocked him over with a hug. Had Metal-2 not been over 300 pounds, the crowd would've lifted him up and carried him. Instead, they surrounded the robot as Amy clung to him.  
  
With Robotnik defeated for now, a new Freedom Fighter in the ranks, and the completion of one heck of an adventure, all was well in Knothole, and the people were happy. Metal-2 went on to become a trusted member of them all, and proved very useful as a unique fighter, and a good friend.  
THE END  
____________________________________________________________________________ _________  
  
Whew! That was a long one!  
  
I haven't used the book format in a while, so I'd like to know what all of you think.  
  
Please review!  
  
I would like to thank:  
  
All of my readers, the pizza guy, and Scotty CF, for being so supportive  
  
I would like to say:  
  
I didn't hurt any furries during the making of this fic. Though it was really tempting to beat Antoine up a bit...  
  
I would like to have:  
  
Some of Bill Gates's money...I mean uh...erm...knowledge of what you thought of this story. Any and all reviews would be much appreciated! 


End file.
